Program Overview

First Year

The PGY-1 year of training will consist of a well-balanced year of otolaryngology and other specialty training as well as education on the medical management of surgical patients. This year will prepare you with the basic surgical skills and knowledge that will serve you well during your otolaryngology training. A popular and well-reviewed rotation is the neuroradiology rotation. You will learn the finer points of head and neck imaging under the mentorship of a fellowship trained neuroradiologist.

Specifically, you will have 6 months of otolaryngology, including pediatric ENT, where you will learn the basics of otolaryngology in the clinic and operating room and during floor management. Other rotations may include: Neurosurgery, Critical Care, Emergency Medicine, Plastic Surgery, Anesthesia, and Neuroradiology. You will attend weekly general surgery and otolaryngology conferences (Tumor Board, Neuroradiology Conference, Attending Socratic Rounds, and Resident Didactics) on Friday afternoons and attend monthly Monday otolaryngology afternoon conferences (M&M and Grand Rounds). You will also attend mandatory monthly core curriculum conferences run by the GWU Graduate Medical Education Office.

Second Year

The PGY-2 year of training will consists of rotations at Children's National Medical Center (CNMC), Holy Cross Hospital (HCH) and George Washington University Hospital (GWUH). The objective is to provide the residents with a thorough education in the fundamental skills required for clinical pediatric and adult otolaryngology. Emphasis will be placed upon the proper work-up of out-patients as well as in-patients beginning with a thorough, well-focused history and head and neck physical examination, appropriate diagnostic testing, followed by medical or surgical alternatives for management. Attending surgeons or fellows (at CNMC) will be present in the clinic at all times to optimize patient based learning. In-house and ER consultations will be the responsibility of the PGY-2 resident and will be presented to the attending staff at morning and afternoon rounds.

The surgical experience for the PGY-2 resident will include pediatric and adult tracheostomy, tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, endoscopy, septoplasty, myringotomy, and pressure equalization tube insertion. In addition, the PGY-2 resident will be exposed to major head and neck surgery and trauma reconstructive surgery.

During this year the resident is expected to identify an area of research and mentor suitable for a research project. A research proposal is due at the end of the second year of training.

Third Year

The PGY-3 year will consist of rotations at CNMC, HCH, GWUH, and a research rotation. Residents will be expected to have submitted a research proposal suitable for grant submission at the beginning of the third year. The research experience can be arranged for clinical or basic science with a mentor from GWUH, CNMC or the NIH. Past research projects have included clinical projects in the Voice Treatment Center, dissolvable tympanostomy tubes developed at CNMC, multiple clinic studies in head and neck onconology, and cervical soft tissue endoscopic surgery in a porcine model.

The focus of the PGY-3 year experience will be refinement of clinical skills needed for diagnosis and treatment of otolaryngological disease. Residents should also begin to understand the more complex management issues for pediatric otolaryngology. The surgical experience will focus on basic otologic surgery, including tympanoplasty and mastoid surgery, basic endoscopic sinus surgery and basic sleep surgery.  In addition, residents will develop further experience with pediatric bronchoscopy and laryngotracheal reconstruction.

Fourth & Fifth Years

The resident will spend the last two years of residency as the senior/chief resident at GWUH and Kaiser Permanente. Most of your time will be spent at GWUH.  You will spend 4 months each on the following subspecialty rotations: Otology/Facial Plastics and Reconstruction; Laryngology/Rhinology; and Head and Neck Oncology/Endocrine.  This unique setup will allow you to have fellowship level of training from fellowship trained otolaryngologists.   Once or twice a week, the Otology/Facial Plastics and Reconstruction resident will capture surgical cases at Kaiser Permanente.  

Kaiser Permanente is a private clinical rotation which provides the residents with a unique opportunity to work with attending faculty in a private clinic and hospital setting. The Kaiser rotation provides senior residents with a comprehensive otolaryngology experience under the supervision of experienced faculty. Clinic, ambulatory surgery center, and hospital based learning is gained at many local Kaiser locations in the metro-DC Maryland area.  You are trained by fellowship-trained staff in all subspecialties as well as comprehensive general otolaryngologists. There is no inpatient service at these locations.

At both GWUH and Kaiser Permanente, the resident will assume the chief resident role and continue to refine their technical skill in endoscopic/skull base sinus surgery, otologic surgery, facial plastics and reconstruction and complex head and neck surgery. 

Benefits and Salary